The littlest Pendragon
by renrenren3
Summary: Modern AU. Arthur hasn't seen or talked to his father in five years. He goes to visit him in his office to introduce him to his and Merlin's adopted daughter.


Arthur parked the car a couple of blocks from the office. He used to have access to the private parking lot, but that was years ago. He adjusted the tie that Merlin had insisted he wore and checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror.

"Are you sure about this?" Merlin asked for what was probably the hundredth time that morning.

"Yes, Merlin, I'm sure," Arthur replied. He got out of the car before Merlin's nagging could make him change his mind.

In the back seat, Edith had somehow managed to take off one of her shoes. "Bad, bad Edith," Merlin cooed, bending low to retrieve the shoe that had fallen under one of the seats. "You need to be on your best behaviour today!"

Arthur picked her up in his arms. "Why don't you like these shoes?" he asked her as Merlin put it back on Edith's foot.

"There you go, Cinderella," Merlin said. Then he turned to Arthur. "We've gone over this already, she doesn't like them because they're pink!"

"But all little girls like pink," Arthur insisted, stubbornly. It was just their luck to have adopted the only toddler in England who didn't conform to little girls stereotypes. At least Edith liked her new dress very much. It had little dinosaurs over it.

Edith gave him a crooked grin that reminded him very much of Merlin. It was the same endearing grin that Merlin used when he wanted to get away with something. Needless to say, it worked every single time.

They walked the short distance to the Pendragon Inc. offices talking about dinosaurs and new shoes. Arthur was very tempted to walk past the sliding doors and suggest they all go for an ice cream but he couldn't chicken out now.

"Are you absolutely positive you want to meet him?" Merlin asked as if reading his mind. "Last time..."

Last time Arthur had came out of those doors looking a right mess and hadn't been able to sleep or think straight for a week. Merlin had never mentioned that devastating meeting again but Arthur could see the concern in his eyes.

"Last time was five years ago," Arthur said, wishing he could feel all the confidence he was pretending to have. "Besides I don't have any illusion that he's going to welcome me back with open arms." He pulled a face. "I just want to tell him about us and Edith."

"He ignored our wedding," Merlin pointed out. "He ignored you for the last five years! Arthur, you don't owe the man anything."

Arthur didn't want to argue with Merlin too. Edith didn't like to see people argue in front of her, it made her upset, and she was already scrunching up her face. "He's still my father," he replied as calmly as he could. "And to be honest I ignored him for a long time too."

Merlin didn't seem convinced at all, but he squeezed Arthur's arm gently and followed him through the sliding doors.

Inside, the lobby was just as Arthur remembered: all glass and stainless steel and full of men and women in business suits bustling about. It was Saturday but his father had never believed in taking the day off just because it was the weekend.

It was strange to think that before meeting Merlin he'd been just like another stern-faced manager, thinking of nothing but his career, working at all hours of the day hoping to gain his father's approval. Now Arthur, with his cheap tie, no jacket and holding a toddler who was looking around with wide eyes, felt very much out of place here.

He tried to ignore everyone's curious stares as he and Merlin walked in front of the ugly modern sculpture at the centre of the room. One of the receptionists, a cute brunette, stopped them before they got to the elevators.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Do you have an appointment?" She looked curiously at them and at Edith. Arthur imagined that this was the first time anyone had had the nerve to bring a child inside this severe-looking building and the idea cheered him up a little.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon," he said. "I'm here to see my father." The receptionist's name tag read 'Gwen Thomas' and Arthur didn't recognize her. He hoped that if she was new she wouldn't know that he and his father weren't on speaking terms.

"Oh," Gwen exclaimed, frowning. "It's just that Mr. Pendragon isn't scheduled to meet anyone this morning... Mr. Uther Pendragon, I mean," she hastily amended. "He doesn't like unannounced visitors."

Arthur knew only too well but he doubted his father would grant him an appointment.

"Surely that doesn't apply to his son and his family," Merlin cut in, giving Gwen his best smile.

She hesitated only a second before nodding. "I'm sure you're right," she said. "And who's this princess?" she added, smiling at Edith.

"She's our daughter," Arthur replied. "Say hello to the nice lady, Edith."

"Hello," Edith piped and Gwen's face split into a huge grin.

"So you're the youngest Pendragon?" she said. "Come to visit your grandfather? I'll call to tell him you're on your way," she added turning to Arthur.

"No need," Arthur said hastily. "I can show myself in." He hoped Gwen wouldn't get in any trouble later. She must be very new not to know that Uther Pendragon hated surprises almost as much as he hated his family.

Edith waved bye-bye at Gwen and they walked into the nearest elevator. Arthur pushed the button to the top floor. Years ago he and his colleagues used to call it 'the Dragon's Lair' and younger employees were afraid of going there in case they met Uther Pendragon in the corridors.

At least Edith had fun during the elevator ride, grinning at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror and beginning a conversation with herself. Arthur tried not to look at his face in the mirror because he felt almost sick and was sure he looked ghastly. Merlin didn't seem to be faring much better.

The elevator stopped on the thirtieth floor with a 'ding' and they stepped out. The Lair was unchanged as well. The décor was more traditional than in the lobby: dark mahogany furniture, marble floor covered with wine red carpets and not even a single plant to cheer up the place.

Once, years ago, just after he'd started dating Merlin, Arthur had bought a small potted plant for his own office. It had wilted and died in a few days, yet another proof of Uther Pendragon's nefarious influence.

"Arthur!" Leon called looking up from his computer screen. "Man, I haven't seen you in forever," he said, jumping to his feet and hurrying forward to shook his hand and Merlin's. As an afterthought he also shook Edith's tiny hand.

"It's good to see you too," Merlin replied with a grin.

"Did you get a promotion?" Arthur asked, noticing that Leon had been sitting at the desk right before his father's office. "Did old Aredian finally retire?"

"Nope," Leon grimaced. "Your father caught him trying to move several million pounds to his offshore accounts. That was a right scene when he confronted him, I tell you."

"Ouch," Arthur replied. "I can imagine. Still, good for you to get his place." Out of his father's men he'd always liked Leon best. He was the only decent person in the office.

Leon grinned at him. "I'm doing my best," he said. "And I'm too scared of Uther Pendragon to put a toe of out line anyway."

"Speaking of my father," Arthur said, nodding to the double doors in front of them. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," Leon replied. "Are you here to see him?"

Arthur nodded glumly. "Here, you take her," he told Merlin, giving him Edith to hold. "I'd better get him alone first, I don't want him to upset Edith if he goes spare."

Leon made a face. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked in an undertone, pulling Arthur away from Merlin. "I don't want to bring it up, but he was pretty clear last time..."

"I know he said he didn't want to see me ever again," Arthur replied in an equally low voice. Merlin frowned at him anyway, as if he could perfectly guess what they were talking about. "I'll go in, tell him he has a granddaughter and go out as soon as he starts shouting. Don't worry."

He ignored Leon's unconvinced stare. Merlin and Edith had settled in one of the large leather armchairs outside of his father's office. Arthur took one moment to stroll over and fix Edith's pigtails, then kissed the corner of Merlin's mouth. "How do I look?" he asked.

Merlin regarded him critically. "As if you're about to puke," he said. Arthur groaned.

"Wish me luck," he said, squaring his shoulders and striding towards the double doors with a confidence he didn't really have. He pushed them open and stepped inside.

His father was at his desk reading some paperwork but he looked up immediately when he heard him enter. "What are you doing here?" he barked, narrowing his eyes.

"Father," Arthur said. His throat had gone dry.

"I thought I said I didn't want to have anything to do with you," Uther said dryly.

Arthur found that his carefully rehearsed speech had been completely forgotten."Yes, you were very clear on that," he replied flatly. "And I got your point when you didn't show up at my wedding."

"Your wedding!" Uther scoffed. "A bad joke, that's what it was. Marrying that... that..."

"I married the man that I love," Arthur snapped back, his temper rising quickly.

"A wastrel," Uther interrupted him. "A man with no prospects, with no job!"

"Who was it that got him fired?" Arthur replied, feeling very tired. The last thing he'd wanted was a rehash of their last argument but he should have known that even after five years his father wouldn't have changed his mind. "You made sure he lost his job and couldn't find another one. You did everything you could to come between him and me."

Uther slammed his fists on the desk. "Was I supposed to stand and watch as my only heir threw away everything he had for a fling? With another man! You didn't even care about the scandal!"

"The only scandal was when you wrote me out of your life because I refused to listen to you," Arthur said, the words catching in his throat. "And guess what? Merlin still married me, because he wasn't in for the money. It was never about the money."

"Enough!" Uther exclaimed, standing up. "This conversation is over."

"Father, listen to me," Arthur began but Uther strode to the doors and slammed them open.

"Out of my office," he bellowed. "I don't want to see your face ever again and I especially don't want to see him," he added, pointing to Merlin who had gone very pale. Then he caught his secretary's eye. "Leon! What were you thinking of, letting them in..."

He trailed off when Edith began to cry. It wasn't surprising, Uther had in many cases reduced grown men to tears. Arthur himself felt very much like curling into a ball and bawling his eyes out.

Merlin held their daughter close and stood up. "We were just leaving," he whispered. "Let's go."

Before Arthur could follow him to the elevator, Uther grabbed his arm. "Who's that?" he asked, pointing to Edith.

"My daughter," Arthur replied flatly. "Our daughter. I don't know why I thought you might have liked to meet her..."

Arthur trailed off seeing that his father was ignoring him and staring at Edith. He walked over to Merlin, who gave him a look like that of a bunny caught in the headlights.

Then Uther leaned over, pinched Edith's cheek and said "Whosapwettygirlden?"

If Edith hadn't been crying so loudly, Arthur was sure he would have heard the sound of three jaws hitting the floor together. He gaped at Merlin and Leon and then back at his father, unsure of what had just happened.

"What?" Merlin mouthed to him. Arthur didn't know what to reply.

"Can I?" Uther asked, and without waiting for Merlin's reply he took Edith from his arms and grinned at her. "Why are you crying? Won't you smile for me?"

Edith sniffled and stopped crying to look at him. Uther took his decorative handkerchief from the front pocket of his jacket and carefully wiped some snot from Edith's nose. Arthur was fairly sure that Uther cared about that handkerchief more than he did about him.

"Aw," Uther said, at which point Leon sidled over to Arthur.

"'Aw?'" he hissed. "Did he just say 'aw?' Who's this man and what did you do to your father?"

"I don't know!" Arthur replied.

"Why didn't you tell me that your father loves kids?" Merlin said, joining their whispered conversation.

"How was I supposed to know?" Arthur asked. "He ignored me until I was old enough to go to college!"

Meanwhile Uther tried to get Edith to smile by playing peek-a-boo with her. Arthur wanted to explain that she was past her peek-a-boo phase but was almost afraid to address his father. To everyone's mounting horror, Uther's plan worked.

"Again!" Edith ordered, giggling and clapping her hands. Uther complied, alternatively cooing and exclaiming "Boo!"

"Okay," Arthur said in an undertone. "Nobody laugh. I don't know what happened, but nobody laugh, for no reason at all you're allowed to laugh."

"Are you kidding?" Leon replied. "I don't want to risk my job. He might go back to normal at any time."

"Look, I made her laugh," Uther called over his shoulder to Leon.

"That's remarkable, sir," Leon replied hesitantly.

Merlin turned away to hide a smirk. Arthur glared at him. "That includes you," he said. "No laughing. This is a serious situation."

"What's your name?" Uther asked in a sing-song voice. Merlin and Arthur exchanged a look and had to bite back their laughter.

"Edif," Edith said after some pondering.

"She's called Edith," Uther announced to the room at large. "Isn't that the cutest littlest name for the cutest littlest princess? And she's got my eyes," he added, beaming.

"Er," Merlin replied. "That's impossible, she's actually adopted so..."

"No, she's got the Pendragon eyes," Uther insisted. "Such pretty blue eyes, just like grandpa! That's right," he added, turning back to Edith. "I'm your grandpa, Uther!"

Arthur gave up trying to make sense of this situation and slid one arm around Merlin's waist. "Personally, I always thought she has your eyes," he told him.

"Can you say my name?" his father asked Edith. "Uther. Try saying it."

She scrunched her nose. "Ufa?" she tried.

"That's right," Uther cooed. "I'm Grandpa Uther. Oh, look, you've lost your shoe! Let's go looking for the shoe that ran away. Leon, help us looking for the shoe," he added.

Leon snapped to attention out of habit. "Yes, sir," he said, shooting Arthur a panicked look. The poor man seemed so confused that Arthur wouldn't be surprised if he went looking for a baby shoe in his filing cabinet.

"She doesn't like those shoes very much," Merlin told him, almost apologetically.

"Play," Edith said, then she tugged at Uther's shoulder. "Play, play!"

"Do you want to play boo again?" Uther asked.

Edith shook her head. "She does that when she wants to be put down," Arthur explained. His eyes widened as he watched his father let Edith down on the carpet and then sat down next to her.

"How old is she?" he asked. For a moment Arthur didn't realize that the question was directed at him - he wasn't used to his father addressing him without shouting.

"She turned two last month," Merlin supplied.

Uther made a disappointed noise. "I missed her birthday," he said. "Why didn't you tell me that it was her birthday?" he added, ignoring how they hadn't been on speaking terms for years. "Now I'll need to get her a late present. Would you like that? Yes, you would!" he told Edith. He wasn't deterred by the fact that she wasn't paying him any attention, too busy looking at his tie.

"Sir, I have found her shoe," Leon announced, emerging from behind the armchair and proudly holding up Edith's shoe.

"Good job," Uther replied. "Now cancel my afternoon's appointments."

Leon stared. "All of them?"

"Of course, me and Edith are going shopping," Uther confirmed, snatching the shoe from Leon's hand and beaming at Edith. "Aren't we, princess?"

Leon looked desperately at Arthur, then shrugged. "I'll go make the calls," he said, retreating behind his desk.

"Er," Arthur told his father. "This is great, really, but Edith can't go shopping now. It's nom nom time... I mean, lunchtime," he added hastily when Uther frowned at him.

"In that case, we have no choice," Uther said severely. "Let's go nom nom. You can come along too," he added to Merlin.

"Nom nom?" Merlin repeated.

"Nom nom," Arthur confirmed, shrugging.

Uther made sure that Edith had both shoes on and got on his feet, brushing his trousers. "I'll leave everything to you," he told Leon.

They went into the elevator together: Edith holding one of Uther's hands and one of Arthur's, with Arthur and Merlin arm in arm.

"What's going to happen to his father's reputation after he's seen like this?" Merlin whispered in Arthur's ear.

"I don't know," Arthur replied. "Just pray he doesn't play peek-a-boo again in public."

"Just pray he doesn't try to give Edith a pony," Merlin replied and Arthur laughed.

Uther did not, in the end, give Edith a pony.

But he wanted to.


End file.
